St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-03
tremendous running. binding snow makes
navigation extremely dangerous.
ESCAPED IN NIGHT CLOTHES.
The Guests at u California Hotel
Have "A Narrow Chance for 1heir


The Guests ut u California Hotel
Have a Narrow Chance for heir
Lives.
MONTEREY, CAL, April 2-The hote
Del Monte was discovered on fire shortly
before midnight. No lives were lost. There
were nearly 800 guests in the hotel. mostly
Eastern people. The fire was discovered
quick enough to give all an opportunity to
escape. MoStS of the guests lost all their
trunks and clothing. Those who were not
overcome by fright saved their jewels and
money. They were all huddled together
on the grounds. where they had to shiver
all night. none of them having nothing
more than their night clothes. Many ladies
suffered severely with the cold. All who
could sought refuge in local hotels. The
hotel cost S350.000.
The fire was first noticed in the laboratory
by j. c. Karshall. of Philadelphia. The
clerk was quickly informed of the fact.
He called up the servants, who thinking
they could check the fire without trouble,
and fearing that panic might be caused
by sudden alarm, went to work to eX-
tinguish the fire without rousing the guests.
The hotel was provided with hose in every
corridor. fire eXtinguishers were in every
hallway, and the system of water works
was capable of throwing stream to the
height of 100 feet. The clerk and his as
sistants turned on the water, when
THEY WE'RE HoRRIFIED
to find that the force was SO weak as barely
to give forth a sprinkle. They rushed to
turn on additional streams, with similar
results, showing clearly, as was afterwards
more fully observed. that the water works
had been tampered with. 1t soon became
evident that they could not control the fire.
and an alarm was given. servants rushing
through the halls and calling on the guests
to get up and fly for their lives. for the
house was burning down. Soon the hotel
became scene of wild confusion. Men,
women and children dashed from their
rooms. clad only in their nightclothes and
such wraps as they could snatch from the
beds. They had to dash through smoke
and flames to find place of safety. Many
ladies could not summon up courage to face
the ordeal. and fled shreking to the win
dows of the floors above. A hook and lad
der company connected with the hotel was
at work, and ladders were run up to the
second and third stories, down which Serv-
ants carried the women and children who
were afraid to face the smoke and flames on
the lower floors. The clerk who was first
notified of the fire, made most strenuous
efforts with his brigade to put out the
flames, but water could not be got. The
fire was discovered fifteen minutes before
the alarm was given, and five minutes later
the last guest was out of the house. The
terror of the night was made worse by
pitchy darkness, for soon after the fire
broke out the gas main burst and the hotel
was plunged in gloom. The frightened
guests
HUDDLED TOGETHER
on fho loy +lo l,oI@ e
trees. The bowling alley and saloon which
are about 100 yards from the hotel, were
given up to the use of the ladies and chill
dren and all the mattresses and bedding
that were saved were placed there for their
use. Most of the luggage of the guests
was in the annex. That was the last part
OF the building to catch fire. and nearly all
OF that was saved, but most of the luggage |
in the main buildings was lost. Nearly all |
the things in the safe were saved. In less |
than half an hour the huge building was |
enveloped in flames and within three hours |
was totally consumed, the only vestige re-
naming being the brick chimneys The |
total loss, including loss of the guests, will |
probably reach 81, 000.0 900. The only guest |
injured was Capt. Scott. Boston capital |
ist, who burned his hand in too rapid |
descent on arope from the windowtof the |
room he occupied. From the fact that tile 4
water pipes had been tampered with, and |
that Immediately after the first outbreak of
fire, flames were noticed in another part of
the building, it is believed to be the work
Of an incendiary. The hotel will be re-
built.
AT FRISCO.
SAN FRANCISCO, April immediately
on receipt of the news of the Hotel Del
Monte fire at Monterey. this morning. the
Southern Pacific company made prompt ar
rangements to bring the guests to this city,
The first train load arrived at 11:3O a. m,
and numbered about 250. The scene pre-
sented in richly furnished coaches of ladies
with disheveled hair, frightened looks and
scantily clothed, was peculiar one. An
other train arrived an hour later, bringing
the remainder Of the guests who desired to
come. Many interested friends and rela-
tiveS were at the depot to witness their ar
rival. Some carried bundles containing
necessary articles of wearing apparel, with
which to envelop the forms of those unfor-
tunates who had been compelled to leave
the hotel
WITHOUT CEREMONY.
while others were present to assure them
selves that their relatives and friends had
escaped. When the train pulled into the
station there was a rush for the platform of
the cars, and as the half clad passengers
stepped off they found themselves in the
arms of anxious watchers. some of whom
were hySterical in their congratulations
For about five minutes there was general
handshaking and embracing, and the tired
tourists were then hurried to waiting hacks
and 'busseS to be taken to the hotels. A
great number sought refuge at the Palace
hotel, but as that building already was
crowded to its utmost capacity, the un-
fortnnates found it impossible i'm many
cases to arrange for rooms. and were OBJ
liged to seek quarters in other hotels and
boarding houses in the city. A majority.o of
the ladies were wrapped in blan-
kets with wells and scarfs about
their heads and slippers on their
feet. Those guests who had lost all their
money by the fire were notified to-day by
the manager Of the Palace hotel that they
might draw on him for such funds as were
necessary to provide them with proper
clothing, and this evening they are feeling
more comfortable.
Two Wrecks.
NORFOLK, Va, A pril 2.-Reports are
received from Cape Henry that .wreckage
is coming ashore along the shore
of Lynn Haven bay. consisting of
sofas, chairs, steering gear, pictures
cooking utensils, and other furniture indi-
eating that they belong to we'll furnished
vessel. probably a yacht. There is nothing
- f.,.ts 1x~E4l IL Al.